FAQ

This is obviously a question that everyone has, and I’ll need some information from you, before I can give you an accurate answer. I don’t offer a handful of web design packages that may or may not meet your specific requirements. I also never use pre-designed themes or templates. Your website will be custom designed and built to meet your specific needs and reflect your branding. When you’re ready, we can have a conversation about exactly what you need in a website, and I’ll put together a custom quote built just for you.

To give you a general idea about cost, most of my clients spend $2,000 to $4,000 on a new website, depending on its size and complexity. I require a 50% deposit to get started, and the remaining balance is due when your new website launches.

Yearly costs to keep in mind will include your domain name, web hosting, and ongoing website support.

I do not add projects to my work schedule until I receive all written content, photos, logos, and everything else needed to complete the project. This ensures that I can complete your website in a timely manner. I usually tell clients to allow for 1-2 months from the time I receive all their website materials to the final completion and launch, although it can go more quickly than that. This allows time for me to get you on my schedule, build your website, submit it for your review, make any necessary adjustments, get your final approval, set up hosting if necessary, and complete the launch process. If you have an important deadline for your website, please be sure to let me know during our initial consultation.

In my experience, using a pre-designed theme never ends up saving time or money for my clients. Inevitably, we’ll want to make changes to the way your website looks or behaves, and we’ll find ourselves struggling with the limitations of your chosen theme. If you’ve already found a theme you love, I’ll be happy to implement the things you love about it, using the tools I know I can count on for their stability and flexibility.

I will always read your written content as I build your website, so I can design each page to support your message and to make sure we don’t end up with spelling or grammar errors. However, I do not write content from scratch. I can recommend a great freelance writer, if you need help putting your website content together.

If you need stock images, I recommend searching on BigStock. Their prices are very reasonable, and they have a large selection to choose from.

If you need headshots for you and your team, I can refer you to an excellent photographer.

I’ve done a ton of research and can confidently recommend SiteGround. They have an extremely stable platform, use the hottest speed technologies and proactive security practices, provide a free SSL certificate with each account, and achieve nearly 100% customer satisfaction rates. In a word — they rock! I’ll be happy to set up your account for you, to be sure you have everything you need.

I offer a variety of support plans for the websites I build. WordPress websites require ongoing maintenance and software updates to keep everything running smoothly and avoid issues with malware and other hacks. I always recommend at least my Essential support plan, so I can keep software updated, maintain off-site backups, and monitor your website’s security and uptime. Other plans include some of my time for edits throughout the year, as well as some other goodies. Feel free to check out my website support plan options and pricing, and contact me if you have questions.

I made the decision years ago to become a WordPress expert, so I can do the best possible job on the websites I build. I’m not as familiar with the other platforms out there, and you’ll get better results by finding an expert in your particular website technology.

I do not specialize in search engine optimization — that is really a whole different skill set, and it’s a full-time job just keeping up with all the changes Google makes. What I can do is set up some basic optimization on your website as I build it and make recommendations for how you can help improve your ranking. For example, set up a Google Business listing, ask for more Google reviews for your business, and make sure your business name, address and phone number are consistent across all social media and directories you are listed in. I can also refer you to a couple of reputable SEO companies if you need more than just the basics.

Like SEO, this is a completely different skill set than web design. I’ve chosen to specialize in designing fantastic WordPress websites, so I can be an expert in my field, rather than doing a little bit of everything. I may be able to refer you to someone who can help you.

Early in my career I spent most of my time designing logos and printed pieces like business cards and brochures. As the demand for websites grew, I got fewer requests for print work, and I felt those skills getting rusty. I eventually made the decision to give up those projects and put all my efforts into creating exceptional WordPress websites. Let me know if you’d like a referral to a good graphic designer.

I’ve had quite a few people ask about this after receiving a quote or invoice from me. My favorite tool for lead forms, questionnaires, quotes, contracts, invoices and more is 17 Hats. You can set up workflows, templates, recurring invoices and more to automate and simplify your lead management, project management and basic bookkeeping tasks. It saves me so much time!